Department Store

Framingham, Mass. -- TJX Cos. said Friday it will close its A.J. Wright discount stores by mid-February, cutting 4,400 jobs. The move comes as the company’s T.J. Maxx and Marshalls chains have become better at attracting the lower-income customers that A.J. Wright targeted.

Ninety-one A.J. Wright stores will be converted into T.J. Maxx, Marshalls or HomeGoods stores, and 71 stores and two DC’s will close entirely. About 3,400 employees will keep their jobs and another 4,400 – half part-time and half full-time – will be cut.

Skokie, Ill. -- The Westfield Group announced that its Westfield Old Orchard shopping center in Skokie, Ill., will change dramatically with the addition of a culinary-focused dining and green food shopping venue slated to open in summer 2011.

The new venue replaces the former food court, which closed on Sept. 1 to make way for the new development.

New York  City -- Fast-fashion retailer H&M will open its largest store to date on Saturday, at the Forum Shops at Caesars, on the Las Vegas Strip.

The three-level, 55,000-sq.-ft. store, which will sell women’s, men’s and children’s clothing, shoes and accessories, is located in a building that formerly housed FAO Schwarz. The toy store, which closed last January, had occupied the space, along with its iconic Trojan horse, since 1997.

New York City -- Neiman Marcus plans to increase spending on technology to align its in-store and e-commerce businesses, the Financial Times reported.

Sales at Neiman’s e-commerce businesses increased 16.9% during the quarter ending Oct. 31, compared with a year ago.

Karen Katz, who took over the reins as chief executive from Burt Tansky in October, said Neiman planned to “ramp up how we connect” with customers who are increasingly equipped with smartphones and tablets, the report said.
 

Somerset, N.J. -- Philips Lighting Wednesday announced that Macy's has selected its custom-designed Philips EnduraLED solid-state LED lamp as part of the nationwide program to retrofit 117,000 halogen-based accent lighting in 86 of its U.S. stores.

Chicago -- Year-over-year GAFO retail sales increased a slight 2.3% or the week ending Dec. 4, according to ShopperTrak’s National Retail Sales Estimate (NRSE), while the company’s Retail Traffic Index (SRTI) reported foot traffic remained flat for the same period.

Seattle -- Callison has teamed with parent companies Abercrombie & Fitch and Urban Outfitters to internationally expand the Hollister Co./Gilly Hicks and Urban Outfitters/Anthropologie brands, respectively.

Abercrombie & Fitch has retained Callison as its architect of record to implement its expansion for Hollister in the United Kingdom and Germany. A total of five stores have opened under Callison’s direction with approximately 10 more locations planned.

Hingham, Mass. -- The Talbots on Tuesday said its third-quarter profit rose 17% on cost-cutting. But its revenue fell and the retailer offered weak fourth-quarter guidance and cut its full-year outlook.